Johnson a worthy mentor for pitchers

Pads Rotation Has Promise

The 30-year-old right-hander is entering his second tour through the National League. He’s a two-time All-Star who’s turned in his best seasons in the years following his 2007 Tommy John surgery. At one point, he thought of among the top pitchers in the game.

In short, the 6-foot-7 Johnson can certainly be a guide post for several of the young pitchers the Padres are grooming – from the rehabbing Casey Kelly to Andrew Cashner to Tyson Ross to prospect Matt Wisler.

“There’s a presence to him,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “There’s something to Josh that lends itself to taking a guy under his wing and mentoring him, so to speak. You’re talking about a two-time all-star and a guy who has been through a lot. He’s had success in the majors and at 30 years old, he’s been in a professional ball a long time. He has some attributes that can lend himself to that, sure.”